Telephones have become more than just a communications device, telephones are being utilized more and more as productivity enhancement tools. Sales representatives prospect over the telephone, customer service representatives working in call centers provide support to a company's customer base, administrative personnel send and receive calls relative to general company operations, etc. As more time is spent on the telephone, telephone headsets have proven to increase user efficiency while providing improved comfort and convenience.
While working, many people prefer to listen to audio from the radio, internet or other audio sources. Unfortunately, such audio sources can contribute to a noisy and distracting work environment. For this reason, the use of headphones to listen to the audio source is desirable. However, if a user is using a telephone headset it is extremely inconvenient to switch between the telephone headset and the headset for the audio device, and vice-versa. Even if the user is not using a telephone headset, it is inconvenient to switch between the audio source headset and the handset of a telephone.
Using the telephone as a productivity tool is further enhanced by increasing the telephone's functionality. Interfacing the telephone with external multimedia devices provides the user with improved means for communication. Linking the telephone with a recording device provides the user with a means for dictation, or a means for recording the conversation between the user and the person at the other end of the telephone call. Alternatively, the telephone can be linked to a device that includes a speech recognition application whereby the user can provide verbal instructions or save verbal comments as a text file. An audio source can also be linked to the telephone to provide audio to the user or to the person on the other end of the telephone call. Such functionality is useful for playing back a previously recorded speech or presentation, or simply to provide music in a non-obtrusive manner.
Unfortunately, conventional means for providing an interface between a telephone and an external multimedia device typically requires additional hardware that is expensive to purchase and time consuming to implement. What is needed is an affordable, easy-to-use device that provides recording and playback functionality. What is further needed is a device that is convenient to use with existing telephonic equipment.